With a view to effectively checking manufacture and sale of illicit liquor, Uttar Pradesh government has set up 399 anti-crime sectors covering all the 75 districts of the state.

“The government has set up 399 anti-crime sectors at the tehsil level in all the 75 districts of the state to check manufacture of illicit liquor and its sale besides stopping sale of liquor at prices higher than the MRP,” Additional Chief Secretary Deepak Trivedi said.

The step has been taken for the first time in the state to put brakes on the sale of illicit liquor, he said.

One inspector each will be posted in all the sectors who will deal with all these issues in an effective and timely manner and control any anomaly, he said.

Several lives have been lost in hooch tragedy in the past couple of years with at least 17 people dying after consuming spurious liquor in Aliganj town of Etah in July last year and 32 others in Malihabad and Unnao villages earlier.

There have also been incidents of several others losing their eyesight after consuming the illicit liquor.